where is that blackguitarist guy when you need him?

Apparently, I'm needed by you and several others on this site going by the orgnotes that I received wanting me to post on this thread. Initially, when I first saw the thread, I thought 2 things...1, this is a "Bait" thread. Obviously designed to get certain people to post and 2, to attempt to cause (no pun intended)"Controversy". Personally, I had no desire to post mainly because I, more than ANYONE on this site, has championed Dez to the high heavens. I, more than anyone, has stated countless times, in TONS of posts and threads that I have written, in great detail, about Dez's importance. To not only Prince's career and to Prince personally, but also to his importance to black rockers (like myself) everywhere. So because of all of this, I felt that EVERYBODY on here already KNEW where I stood in the matter. In the W&L Q&A thread where everyone on the site was encouraged to ask them a question...I specifically asked Wendy if she felt any pressure in replacing someone in Prince's band who was so prominent and dominant in Prince's band and career...Musically and visually. If she felt that she had "Big shoes" to fill. As I also stated several times in the past, Wendy was cool for her short period in the band. Many have the tendecy to think Wendy was around a lot longer than she actually was. She was only there for 3 albums. Granted, she came in the band at Prince's motion picture break through and his opus "Purple Rain" and was able to ride the wave of THAT success. Prince did not want Dez to leave the band. Dez's character was written in an early draft of Purple Rain. But P needed to know that Dez wasn't going to jump ship right after the film and tour. Prince WANTED Dez for a 3 to 4 year span and needed him to commit to THAT. Dez couldn't do it. So he left. Wendy, with having an ear to what was going on in the band from Lisa, made sure to be ready in the wings if Dez did leave. He did and she was ready. She had easily a good two years to prepare for the band being that she was always there. No fault of hers, mind you. Just right place at the right time. But to me, it's not even about Wendy.
[Edited 6/17/09 21:41pm]

Dez would crush Wendy on guitar. He put down the solo that broke Prince through to a rock audience and is remembered as one of the 100 greeatest solos of all time.


What has Wendy done like that?

Dez would crush Wendy on guitar. He put down the solo that broke Prince through to a rock audience and is remembered as one of the 100 greeatest solos of all time.


What has Wendy done like that?

Wendy Melvoin played an amazing solo on "Do Me Baby" on the Purple Rain tour.
And the rhythm work she did on KISS was amazing.

Dez Dickerson...well.

Thank God, he left when he left.
1999 and Little Red Corvette were great with him in it. >

If we're talking about comparing the two in a live setting,...come on now, don't let your love for Wendy BLIND ya'll into thinking that Wendy threw down harder than Dez did. Live?...Wendy could NEVER play the lead lines to "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad" and "Bambi" if her life depended on it....Never. Hell, up untill the 1999 tour, Dez as a lead guitarist, was taking Prince himself to school. And ya'll KNOW Wendy can't fuck with Prince as a guitarist. Like I have said, as a rhythm guitarist, I've always gave Wendy her props. And on the PR tour, she looked cute and she had that sexy swagger and I liked when she would do that stomping with one foot thing she would do when she was felling it. But over Dez in a LIVE setting? ...Fuck nah. Not even close. If P didn't KNOW that Dez was cold blooded, he never would have let Dez near a guitar solo that he himself could record. ESPECIALLY on a song like Little Red Corvette. P KNEW that was going to be his crossover pie in the sky so he didn't want to blow it. THAT'S the very reason he wanted Dez to come up with a solo and to record a solo for that song. Prince was smart. He KNEW Dez was better suited for a solo for THAT song than he was. Prince wanted that song played on white stations so it could appeal to white listerners. Period...That's a plain fact. So to truly accomplish that, he wanted Dez on the solo because he knew Dez's playing style was more akin to white listeners than his own. No matter how much rock Prince plays, and how many rock guitar solos he has recorded, P's phrasing, his tone and his style in his solos have ALWAYS been more "black" sounding. He's straight from the school of Hendrix, Eddie Hazel & Ernie Isley in that regard. His solos on Get It Up, 777-9311, Let's Go Crazy, Lady Cab Driver, are just a few but perfect examples of this. Dez's tone, and his phrasing, are more akin to a "whiter" rock sound. P knew THAT and he wanted THAT on THAT song.
[Edited 6/18/09 14:32pm]

If we're talking about comparing the two in a live setting,...come on now, don't let your love for Wendy BLIND ya'll into thinking that Wendy threw down harder than Dez did. Live?...Wendy could NEVER play the lead lines to "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad" and "Bambi" if her life depended on it....Never. Hell, up untill the 1999 tour, Dez as a lead guitarist, was taking Prince himself to school. And ya'll KNOW Wendy can't fuck with Prince as a guitarist. Like I have said, as a rhythm guitarist, I've always gave Wendy her props. And on the PR tour, she looked cute and she had that sexy swagger and I liked when she would do that stomping with one foot thing she would do when she was felling it. But over Dez in a LIVE setting? ...Fuck nah. Not even close. If P didn't KNOW that Dez was cold blooded, he never would have let Dez near a guitar solo that he himself could record. ESPECIALLY on a song like Little Red Corvette. P KNEW that was going to be his crossover pie in the sky so he didn't want to blow it. THAT'S the very reason he wanted Dez to come up with a solo and to record a solo for that song. Prince was smart. He KNEW Dez was better suited for a solo for THAT song than he was. Prince wanted that song played on white stations so it could appeal to white listerners. Period...That's a plain fact. So to truly accomplish that, he wanted Dez on the solo because he knew Dez's playing style was more akin to white listeners than his own. No matter how much rock Prince plays, and how many rock guitar solos he has recorded, P's phrasing, his tone and his style in his solos have ALWAYS been more "black" sounding. He's straight from the school of Hendrix, Eddie Hazel & Ernie Isley in that regard. His solos on Get It Up, 777-9311, Let's Go Crazy, Lady Cab Driver, are just a few but perfect examples of this. Dez's tone, and his phrasing, are more akin to a "whiter" rock sound. P knew THAT and he wanted THAT on THAT song.
[Edited 6/18/09 14:32pm]

is these long ass paragraphs called for

Who's talking about a song like "Modernaire", which has no solo to begin with? [Edited 6/19/09 3:34am]

It is there.

There is a keyboard solo that is played like a guitar solo in Modernaire. It is in the break section.

indyenna....if u have to go to what Dez has done as a solo artist compared to what Wendy and Lisa has done and who they have worked with, that's a totally different topic. "Well listen bgz, they score for the show "Heroes"!". Yeah, I know what all W&L has done. That has NOTHING to do with what THIS topic is about. U not liking Dez, that's super cool with me.

It's NO black off of my skin u digging Miko better than Dez. That takes nothing or has anything to do with my post. Hell, u can think Donald Duck and Big Bird is better than Dez. U saying Vernon, (who I know because I was a member of the Black Rock Coalition), I was never a fan of Vernon's playing.

Who's talking about a song like Modernaire, which has no solo to begin with?

That's like me saying "Well, 'Are You My Baby?' doesn't have a guitar solo either." So what?

(Indyenna adds: When I spoke about Modernaire...it is a Dez Dickerson tune. And it has guitar-like solo. I used that as a reference of one of his "solos". He may have some Eddie Van Halen noodling skills for all I know. I haven't heard anything else other than Little Red Corvette--as an example of Dez's soloing.)

Or me saying "Well, it's not like Wendy is playing with George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars now is she?" What kind of shit is that? If I said that, that would have NOTHING to do with the topic. U mentioning u think Vernon is a better guitarist than Dez... That's all fine and well. Wait,...I'll add on the list with you ,.. Hendrix, Eddie Hazel, Ernie Isley, Michael Hampton, Dwayne Blackbyrd, etc. But u know what? STILL has nothing to do with who W&L has produced and worked with. Van Halen or Scooby Doo....It's not what the topic is about.

Now u saying that u think Miko is better,...it's all beautiful. Although even that has nothing to do with the thread. U think Wendy is better...Now you're talking...At least you're on track.
[Edited 6/19/09 3:34am]

DEZ 1,000 TIMES OVER!!!!!

Forgive my ig'nance, but who is black girl in the middle?

I know that gurl. But I am not saying who she is.
She is gonna get an e-mail from me soon.

DEZ DICKERSON....come on, get real. We all know what contributed to Wendy being in the band - some of us just dont want to hear it.

I have to agree with you there. DEZ was awesome, had wonderful stage presence without trying to be a STAR and was definitely more skilled than Wendy. Something about Wendy's playing was a little to sterile.

(Indyenna adds: Sterile?! Oh, no you din't. )

Yeah we know why W was a part of the revolution.

(Indyenna adds:...because she played very well? And she was great at recording and mixing. And arranging string ensemble parts?)
Lisa wanted her girlfriend in the band and had been working on Prince for years. She would invite Wendy to rehearsals. With Dez becoming further disinterested in the sexual overtures of the music it was inevitable that Wendy would replace him especially since

Prince developed a crush on her.

(Indyenna adds: Wha? I doubt that. Wendy loves women.)

But of course she let him know that she preferred sushi to steak

(Indyenna adds: There is nothing like a good steak. I like tilapia as well...but not like I like OUTBACK Steakhouse steaks.)

so he went with her twin Susannah (W basically said here try this). Same pussy different flavor.

(Indyenna adds: Hetero men need more lesbians to show them where the straight women are. Hehehe.)